Intercollegiate
Athletics plays an integral role in the success of the University
in achieving its mission and providing a learning-centered
environment. In the past two years, California State University,
Northridge has launched three key initiatives directed toward
mapping the University’s future. These are Envision
2035, which is the physical master planning process for the
campus; a capital campaign to bring a Valley Performing Arts
Center to the University; and a reorientation of all University
activities, services, and programs to focus on their role
in supporting student learning in order to respond to calls
for greater accountability, continuing enrollment demands,
and an eroding financial base.

Consistent
with these initiatives, it is also essential for Intercollegiate
Athletics to develop action plans that can serve as a roadmap
to excellence for the next five years. To achieve this goal,
a Blue Ribbon Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics is being
established. The Commission is charged with addressing the
elements of organization, resources, and personal commitment
that the University and Intercollegiate Athletics must have
in order to consistently produce a successful NCAA Division
I program within the Big West Conference.

Matador
athletics has a long and rich history. The department has
won 30 NCAA Division II national titles, but has not achieved
a comparable level of success since transitioning to Division
I during the 1990-91 season. In 1997, in response to concerns
about the program's ability to compete effectively at the
Division I level, which requires a higher level of compliance
and accountability, President Blenda Wilson commissioned a
task force to review the future of Intercollegiate Athletics
at Cal State Northridge. The recommendations of this study
concentrated on the areas of management and administration,
athletics conference affiliation and sports offerings, gender
equity, budget, facilities, and external issues related to
support from the state of California and the California State
University system.

Substantial
progress has occurred in CSUN’s athletics program since
that report was prepared: the University’s conference
affiliation has changed; a five-year strategic plan was developed;
gender equity goals have been achieved for the first time;
a significant investment of resources has been made to renovate
campus intercollegiate athletics facilities; considerable
University resources have been invested to develop external
funding for the athletics program; and improvements have been
made in the kinds of support student athletes receive both
in their sports and in their role as students.

Charge

The
Blue Ribbon Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics is charged
to build on the successes of the earlier efforts to enhance
Intercollegiate Athletics by developing a road map for excellence
for the next five years. Work will begin by the Commission
in early September, and it will have representation from key
Intercollegiate Athletics stakeholders. Dr. Mo Qayoumi, Vice
President for Administration and Finance, to whom Intercollegiate
Athletics reports, will serve as chair. The Commission will
seek input from major University constituencies throughout
its deliberations to form objective and informed opinions.
The recommendations of the Commission shall be submitted to
the President no later than mid-December 2005. In recognition
of the significant role that Intercollegiate Athletics plays
in fulfilling the University’s mission, Dr. Cedric Dempsey,
president emeritus of the NCAA, has agreed to work with the
Commission to help produce a set of recommendations that are
positive, achievable, and are directed toward building a fiscally
sound, academically strong, and competitive Intercollegiate
Athletics program at California State University, Northridge.

The
Commission is expected to recommend a new comprehensive strategic
plan that promotes a sense of pride in the people and the
accomplishments of Intercollegiate Athletics. This plan should
be built on a foundation of integrity, a quality student-athlete
experience, and continuous striving for excellence in the
classroom and in competition. The un-prioritized list of topics
that shall be reviewed includes, but may not be limited to,
the following:

The competitive position of the department and its current
sports within the NCAA Division I and the Big West Conference;

Financial controls and accountability including appropriate
funding levels for the size of the program, sources of funds,
and efficacy/transparency of business operations;

Academic
performance of student athletes with a focus on enhancing
graduation rates;

Compliance
with Cal/NOW, NCAA, Big West, and University policies and
directives;

Size
and condition of practice and competition facilities compared
to other similar institutions within the conference;

Strategies to build support for intercollegiate athletics
through marketing and fund-raising efforts, as well as methods/systems
of increasing the interest and involvement of students,
faculty, staff, alumni, and the local community; and

Performance improvement and the development of indicators
to enhance the competitive position of the program, and
assess the program’s progress in meeting its strategic
goals.